Shinzo Abe

The Romanticization of Shinzo Abe in Taiwan Should Not Surprise

Brian Hioe
The shooting death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe drew international headlines yesterday. The incident took place while Abe was on the campaign trail in Nara, Japan, with much disinformation, misinformation, and rampant speculation in the wake of the incident. It may not be surprising to note that views in Taiwan of Abe have been rosy, turning a blind eye to his right-wing historical revisionism, nostalgia for Japanese empire, and actions seen as authoritarian in a Japanese context...
EnglishJuly 2022Politics16 min read

Politicization Of Comfort Women Issue Prevents Justice For Being Realized For Survivors

Brian Hioe
Unfortunately, it continues to be unlikely that Taiwanese comfort women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese empire will see justice in their lifetimes given the politicization of the issue by both pan-Blue and pan-Green political actors, and the reluctance of the current Japanese government to make any genuine apology for its actions during World War II...
August 2018EnglishInternationalRegional Tensions8 min read

A Counter-Example For Taiwan In The Conservative Resurgence In Japan?

Brian Hioe
The example of the rise of Yuriko Koike’s “Party of Hope” in Japan, offers an example in a mirror darkly for Taiwan, perhaps. Namely, what Japan offers as a counter-example for Taiwan is the failure of democratic politics in allowing for the rise of two starkly conservative parties which do not substantially differ in their politics. Nevertheless, there may be some lessons to be learned for Taiwan...
EnglishOctober 2017Politics7 min read